by GreenLake » Tue Feb 10, 2015 8:13 pm
Sealant - use something non-silicone, like LifeCaulk from BoatLife.
One alternative is to glue a block of wood and then screw into it. Gives you some load distribution, and you don't have to worry about sealing a hole.
If you use an epoxy glue, you can use any extra for coating the wood on all exposed sides to keep water (and rot) sealed out.
Before mounting the wood, drill a pilot hole for the (wood) screw that will hold your strap. Wax the screw and set it aside. When you glue the block, fill the hole with extra glue, then insert the screw all the way. After everything is cured, the epoxy will have formed "threads" for the screw, but the wax will allow the screw to still come out. Unscrew, add the eyestrap, and fasten again.
If your needs go beyond what a well-seated wood screw can hold, then, first, get an eyestrap for a pair of screws, or, if that's not the solution, you can embed a bolt into the wood (permanently glued in without wax) so that you can fasten the strap to it with a lock nut.
If you use high-quality epoxy (not the 5-min variety in the double syringe from the H/W store) and take good care to get the ratio correct and mixed well, then a few square inches of glue joint (well-cleaned and roughened surface) will hold hundreds if not thousands of pounds -- definitely overkill, so there's no need to consider drilling the hull (or deck).
~ green ~ lake ~ ~